Sight for sore eyes

A diet rich in carbohydrates results in poor eyesight. Dr John Briffa takes a look at the evidence

Sunday September 21, 2003
The Observer

Among those who know me well I have a reputation as a bit of a philistine. In my 37 years on this planet, I've read just two novels and didn't even open the set texts for my English literature O level (which I failed). The truth is, I've always struggled taking in the written word, and view the expression 'reading for pleasure' as a contradiction in terms. With such a studious aversion to reading matter, I remember feeling rather hard-done-by to find myself short-sighted and in need of glasses at the age of 13. My own experience did seem to be one in the eye for the notion that short-sightedness is the result of bookishness.

Recently, I decided to research the causes of short-sightedness (myopia). Populations with no system of formal education have very low rates of myopia (typically 0-2 per cent). This is in stark contrast to Westernised cultures, where virtually everyone is put through the mill of education, and short-sightedness afflicts between 25 and 35 per cent of people. However, other evidence suggests that the link between reading and myopia is not as clear as it may seem.

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